Bought item from usa apparently i have to pay to get it from Customs!

[Rollerbird]

Just recieved this email (my item is showing as arrived at heathrow 3 days ago) Ive contacted seller via ebay today (how do i do a proper complaint?)
I was not advised of any charges!

(Ive xxxxx the real numbers!)

Payment Request Number: xxxxxx

Re: Package ID Number: xxxxxxxx

You have recently placed an overseas order from Shoe Metro that was shipped with DHL Global Mail. In order to release your shipment from Customs we kindly ask you to pay the incurred import charges to HM Revenue & Customs.

Payments should be remitted to Customs Clearance Limited, the authorised clearance agent of DHL Global Mail US in the UK. Customs Clearance Limited is acting as approved and authorised agent to collect import taxes due on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs.

Once the charge has been paid, your order will be delivered to you via Yodel within 2-3 working days.

Charges due
Customs Entry £ 8.00
Import Duty £ 0.00
Import VAT £ 5.77
Total £ 13.77

Please visit our website at www.cclpay.com in order to pay your charges online.

If you have any difficulties in paying your charges online please call our customer service team on +44 (0) 20 8231 0915

Please be advised that payment should be made by Sunday 29th of October 2017 as your goods can only be held in our Customs Bonded area for 14 days, thereafter we have to either return to sender or pass for destruction.

In case you have any questions, please call our customer service team on +44 (0) 20 8231 0915 or email [email protected]

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 0900 - 1800

Yours sincerely,

Revenue Collections Team
Customs Clearance Ltd

This is pretty standard, I've often had to pay custom charges for stuff I've ordered from the states.

that's normal import duty. just pay.

Yup, standard I'm afraid. You're always charged VAT plus a handling fee when ordering goods from the states unless they are under $20 / a gift.

Err this is normal, anything you buy outside of the EU you have to pay customs charges AKA VAT.

Every website I've bought off adds that any import charges are the customers responsibility so I doubt you'll get anywhere with a complaint.

Standard. I paid import charges for uggs from Australia.

Yes it's standard & nothing to do with the seller.

In fact not just from the states, from any country outside the EU.

Who are you going to complain to? This is a UK charge from our Customs & Excise Authority. It's not the seller's fault that you were unaware of that

Yes we bought a painting once and had to pay customs charges, crap isn’t it.imagine if we have to start doing it for all the EU states, can you imagine ?

Nothing to do with the seller, they won't know the import duties in foreign countries. Down to you to deal with I'm afraid!

Why didn’t you think you would have to pay charges?

Wait till Brexit happens, everything from everywhere might have a custom tax

Oh well, lesson learned i guess!
I was clueless about this, and must have just been ' lucky ' ordering previously from United states via ebay.(individuals rather than companies)
Thanks for all your help!!

I uses to work for mail order company. Items below a certain amount were exempt as were educational items and possibly books if my memory serves me right (books were zero rated_ don't know if they still are). Otherwise standard I'm afraid. We did warn overseas customers though as it was hassle if they didn’t realise and didn't take the goods as a result

Individual/private sellers will sometimes send as a gift to avoid this.

Any country outside the EU you will have to pay customs charges for items being imported in to the UK. I wouldn't really expect the seller to know the customs charges for every country they might be asked to ship to.

Obviously you didn't know but you do now for any future purchases. I can't really see who you could complain to though, it's just the law of the country you happen to live in. Complain to the UK government??

Obviously Im not going to complain now i know.
I probably look like a fool for not knowing and thinking i should have been advised on the advert that import taxes would be payable in addition to postage.
I have paid now anyway.

If you see something on eBay USA that's advertised under the global shipping program then that cost is a 'landed' cost and includes all duties.
There are sites where you can roughly calculate the costs. It can also be hit and miss. Dd and I both ordered shirts from the USA separately as the site wouldn't process more than one per customer. Despite them being identical hers was charged a fee and mine wasn't.

I got a customs charge letter from DHL after I’d already had my parcel delivered.
The letter came about a week after asking me to pay I thought it was a bit strange I thought it would be before.

Get used to it. After Brexit we'll have to pay import duties on everything

There is something on the listings that tells you that you are responsible for additional import charges as a rule, unless the seller is using the Global Shipping program which costs more in the first place.

I have bought items from the States and had to pay a fee before I could get the item. I have also bought from someone using Global Shipping which cost more as the item was not as described and although I got a refund on the item I didn't get the postage back. I didn't look into it more and should have, but it put me off buying from the U.S. again.

Some items, if they are low cost wont count for custom fees which may be why you have not incured it before. Can't remember but may be below £10/£15 pound ish?
We all get a shock with it at some point in our lives Rollerbird
With us it was a tiny plush pokemon we bought for our ds which cost enough on it's own (was rare) - shockingly the charges ended up more than the teddy itself

It's £15. I just received a package marked with a value of $21.50 (£15.99) and was pleased not to be hit with a VAT charge of £3.20 and a handling fee of £8.